Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-02-23
,1rred him TO shoot bird to get feather

ssg4G Ii plCy Iuab HleTo DeauIy Is llOt eulUle,
said Lee, gravely, "and that if the worst
comes to the worst here you would probably
prefer me to Ned and his mustachios, merely
because I've been tied by the leg to this sofa
and slowly fattened like Strasbourg goose !"
Nevertheless his badinage failed somehow
to amuse Kate, and she presently excused
herself to rejoin her sister, who had already
slipped from the room. For the first timo
straint and uneasiness affected Mrs. Hale, her
sister and Falkner at dinner. The latter ad-
dressed himself to Mrs. Scott almost entirely.
Mrs. Hale was fain to bestow an exceptional
and amarked Tenderness on her little daughter
Minnie, who, however, by some occult child
ish Instinct, insisted on sharing 1t with Lee,
her great friend, to Mrs. Halos uneasy con-
sciousness Nor was Lee slowto profit by the
childs suggestion, but responded with certain
vicarious caresses that increased the mothers
embarrassment. That evening they retired
feas3y, ,;but in the intervals Of a restless night
+ sKAte was aware, from the sound Of voices in
the opposite room, that the friends were
equally wakeful.
It was spared her. There was, however. still
enough dissonance in his manner to affect
her quick feminine sense, and when she drew
nearer to him it was with certain maiden
like timidity.
"You are not worse, Mr.. Lee, I hopea
You have not over exerted yourself?"
"There's little chance of that with one leg
If not in the grave ct least mummified
with bandages," he replied, with bitterness
new to him.
"Shall loosen them3 Perhaps they ore
too tight. There is nothing SO irritating to
one as the sensation of being tightly bound" !"
The light touch Of her hand upon the rug
that covered his kness, the thoughtful ten
derness of the blue veined lids, and the deli
cate atmosphere that seemed to surround her
like perfume cleared his face of its shadow
and brought back the reckless fire into his
blue eyes.
II suppose rr1 intolerant CT all bonds" he
said, looking at her intently, din others as
well as myself"
Whether or not she detected any double
meaning in his words she was obliged to &c
cept the challenge of his direct gaze and,
raising her eyes to his, drew back a littlo
from him with slight increase Of color.
II was afraid you had heard bad news just
now"
"What would you call bad news" asked
Lee, clasping his hands behind his head and
leaning back on the sofa, but without with
drawing his eyes from her face.
"Oh, any news that would interrupt your
convalescence or break up our little family
party" said Mrs. Hale. "You have been
getting on SO we'll that really it would seem
cruel to Lave anything interfere with our
life of forgetting and being forgotten. But,
she added with apprehensive quickness, "has
anything happened! Is there really any
news from-from the trails! Yesterday Mr..
Falkner said the snow had recommended in
the pass. Has he seen anything, noticed any
thing different"
She looked SO very pretty, with tho rare,
genuine and youthful excitement that trans
figured her wearied and wearying regularity
of feature, that Lee contented himself with
drinking in her prettiness as he would have
inhaled the perfume of some flower.
"Why do you look at me so, Mr. Lee3" she
asked, with slight smile. ~ believe some
thing has happened. Mr. FnlEner has
brought you some intelligence.
"He has certainly found out something |
did not foresee."
"And that troubles you"
ut does"
us it secrets"
"No."
"Then suppose you will tell it to me rt
dinner" she said, with little tone of relief.
81 am afraid if tell it at all must tell it
now," he said, glancing ut tho door,
"You must do as you think best" she said,
coldly, "as it seems to be secret after all. "
She hesitatetl. Kate is dressing, and will
not be down in sometime"
$50 much the better. For am afraid that
Ned has made poor return to your hospl-
tality by falling in love with her"
Impossible! He has known her for
scarcely week"
II am afraid we won't agree as to the
length of time necessary to appreciate and
love woman. I think it can be done in
seven days and four hours the exact time we
have been here"
"Yes; but as Kate was not in when you
arrived, and did not come until later, you
must take Off at least one hour" said Mrs.
Hale gayly.
"Ned can. shall not abate second"
"But are you not mistaken in bis feel
inps?" she continued hurriedly. HE GER
tainly has not said anything to her,"
"That is his last hold on honor and reason.
And to preserve that little intact he wants to
run away at once"
"But that would be very silly"
"Do YOU think soY' he said, looking at her
Gxedly.
"Why notr she asked in her turn, but
rather family.
"rn tell you why" he said, lowering his
voice with certain intensity Of passion un-
like bis usual boyish ghtheartedness. "Think
of O man whose life has been one Of alter
nate hardness and aggression, of savage
disappointment and equally savage successes,
who has known no other. relaxation than dis
sipation or extravaganza; man to whom
the idea of the domestic hearth and family
-.
worse; who had looked for loyalty and devo-
ton only in the man who battled for him at
bis right hand in danger, or shared his pri-
vations and sutferings. Think of such
man, and imagine that an accident has sud-
denly placed him in an atmosphere of purity,
gentleness and peace, surrounded him by the
refincmcnts of higher life than he had ever
known, and that lie found himself, as i'll u
dream, on terms of equality with pure
woman who had never known any other life
and yet would understand and pity his. I'm.
agine his loving her! Imagine that the first
effect Of that love was to show him his own
inferiorty and the immeasurable gulf that
lay between his life and hers! Would he not
Hy rather than brave the disgrace of her
awakening to the truth: Would he not fly
rather than accept even the pity that might
tempt her 10 a sacrifice"
"But-is Mr.. Fakner all that?"
Nothing of tho kind, assure you" said
he demurcly but that's the way man in
love feels"
Really! Mr.. Falkner should get you to
plead his cause with Kate" said Mrs. Hale